Project: Photo // Framing the Shot

Last week, I dropped my iPhone and shattered the screen (again). Since I had 2 weeks before my current contract expires and I'm able to switch to a better carrier, I was looking forward to the opportunity to "go dark" for 2 weeks, meaning no communication if I'm not at a computer (like back in the '90s)!

Fortunately and unfortunately, my lovely husband is a huge techie. Whereas some people might read before bedtime, he spends those moments watching tech reviews on YouTube. He'd probably prefer the world to end than to have to go dark for a day. But because of this, he also spoils me with technology, so we ended up getting the new iPhone 6s the day after I announced that I was going dark. So much for that...

Anyway, the iPhone 6s's new "live photos" thing is pretty neat. When turned on, it takes a picture normally, but also records the few seconds that lead up to the capture. But I'm waiting for the moment that it takes up all the room in my phone, even though Jason swears that it doesn't take up THAT much space. I don't think he realizes how many photos of Bellatrix and Lily I can take in one afternoon.

I also am very, very surprised to notice a visible difference between the pictures taken with my iPhone5 and the iPhone 6s. I understand it's 3 iterations old, but 3 years does not feel like that long of a time! I guess technology advances a lot faster than I care to admit. It's kind of like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but with Apple products.

This week's month's project is about framing a shot. Choosing how to tell the story, by actively putting the subject in a frame within the photo, provides additional context and depth. This was a more difficult concept to wrap my head around because I had to change my initial perception of a potential shot, but it was a useful exercise in training the brain to see the bigger picture.

Thoughts:

1. Especially with light subjects inside a dark frame, it was hard for me to figure out where to set the focus, without blowing out the background or underexposing it, for that matter. I guess that previous lesson of Focus and Exposure didn't serve to explain everything.
2. I had to fix a lot of exposure issues with editing, and I'm not entirely happy with the final products. I think I need to study up on editing in a future week.
3. I'm chalking this lesson up as a work-in-progress. There are shots that I imagined in my head but couldn't find the right venue to capture. (I wanted to find a dark room with someone walking through a ray of sunlight in the middle of the room.)
4. My take-away here is that there are an infinite number of ways to frame a shot.

Project: Photo // Reflections

A few weeks ago, I dropped my iPhone and shattered the screen. I had to pay $100 to get the top screen and LCD screen replaced, which was very annoying because I'm planning to get the new iPhone 6s in November. However, I needed a working smart phone now and for the next 2 months to do this project, know what I mean?!

And now there's a tiny bird in the distance in every picture... but don't worry, it's not your screen. It's just a tiny scratch on my camera lens...

Oh well, 'least it works now!

This week's project took longer than the time originally allotted. I wanted more practice with different types of reflections, so I stretched out the assignment to last a few more weeks.

Anyway, this week's project is reflections.

Thoughts:

1. Reflections are much more stunning on a wind-less day, when one can capture a perfectly mirrored image. Otherwise the wind creates a ripple effect on water that slightly distorts the reflection. 
2. Puddle photography would have more context if the whole puddle is in the picture. Also, try getting the lens closer to the surface of the water.
3. I get it now... golden hour (aka sunrise/sunset) is amazing and the other pictures taken throughout the day are all crap. This is an annoying realization, as it will really limit practice time if I'm only taking pictures within those two time frames!

Project: Photo // Focus and Exposure

This week's lesson was to practice manually controlling the focus and exposure. Unfortunately, between trying to fight off a cold this week, losing money in the 100-point drop of the stock market this week, and Tropical Storm Erika that put Florida in a state of emergency (which basically meant a lot of rain)... I wasn't particularly active on the hunt for interesting pictures.

Here's my week of skipping the gym and hanging out with the cats...

I really was trying to practice locking the AF/AE on the subject and adjusting exposure before taking the picture, but in a house with little natural light, I found that I really had to depend on the editing app to lighten the picture afterwards.

Thoughts:

1. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to editing pictures.
2. Being sick sucks.
3. But I'm really excited for my sister & her husband, who've officially moved into their very first house in Denver-area this weekend! Yay, congratulations!!